NBA: Magic clip Hawks for fourth straight win
Franz Wagner #22 of the Orlando Magic reacts against the Detroit Pistons during the first quarter at Little Caesars Arena on October 19, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan. Nic Antaya/Getty Images/AFP
Franz Wagner led eight Orlando scorers in double figures with 24 points, and the Magic extended their season-long winning streak to four games with a 135-124 defeat of the visiting Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.
Orlando’s balanced offense, which featured all five starters scoring at least 16 points, produced both a season high for the recently rolling Magic and the franchise’s most points in a single game since posting 136 points on Feb. 28, 2020.
Wednesday marked the third consecutive game for leading-scorer Wagner hitting for at least 23 points, and was his fourth game in the last five reaching that mark. Bol Bol and Paolo Banchero added 21 and 20 points, respectively, while Markelle Fultz delivered his best all-around performance since joining the Magic lineup on Nov. 30.
Fultz produced season highs of nine assists, seven rebounds and four steals to go with 16 points, his second-highest scoring output in eight games played this season.
🔥 Franz Wagner gives the @OrlandoMagic a 2-point lead late!
TOR 109 | ORL 111
Seconds remaining on the NBA App
📲 https://t.co/1pomQZN8Pi pic.twitter.com/WawefKFCoL— NBA (@NBA) December 10, 2022
Moritz Wagner rounded out the scoring contributions from Orlando’s starting five with 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the floor, including 3-of-4 shooting from 3-point range. The Magic connected on 16 of 36 attempts from long range, with both Wagners, Bol and Terrence Ross each making three.
Ross finished with 11 points off the bench, joining Mo Bamba (11 points) and Cole Anthony (13) as the reserves to score in double figures.
The Magic controlled throughout, going on a 13-0 run that broke a 4-4 tie early into the contest and leading the rest of the way. Orlando’s advantage ballooned to as many as 29 points before Atlanta chipped away at the deficit late.
The Hawks pulled to within nine in the fourth quarter behind a game-high 25 points from De’Andre Hunter. Trae Young added 19 points, but shot just 6 of 15 from the floor and 1 of 5 from beyond the 3-point arc.
Bogdan Bogdanovic and Onyeka Okongwu chipped in with 17 and 15 points, respectively, powering the Hawks to a slight 40-37 advantage in bench points, but Wednesday’s contest was otherwise dominated by the homestanding Magic.
Orlando dropped 50 points in the opening frame, the most points in any quarter in franchise history.
